Docufiction (or docu-fiction) is the cinematographic combination of documentary and fiction, this term often meaning narrative film. It is a film genreAn Introduction to Genre Theory by Daniel Chandler at Aberystwyth University which attempts to capture reality such as it is (as direct cinema or cinéma vérité) and which simultaneously introduces unreal elements or fictional situations in narrative in order to strengthen the representation of reality using some kind of artistic expression.A creative treatment of actuality – article by Peter Biesterfeld at Videomaker , 08/07/2015
More precisely, it is a documentary mixed with fictional elements,Il difficile rapporto tra fiction e non fiction che si concretizza nella docu-fiction (The difficult relationship between fiction and non-fiction patent in docufiction) – thesis in Italian by Laura Marchesi, Faculty of Communication Sciences (Università degli Studi di Pavia) at Tesionline , 2005/06 in real time, filmed when the events take place, and in which the main character or characters—often portrayed by non-professional or amateur actors—are essentially playing themselves, or slightly fictionalized versions of themselves, in a fictionalized scenario. In this sense, docufiction may overlap to an extent with some aspects of the mockumentary format, but the terms are not synonymous.
A film genre in expansion, it is adopted by a number of experimental filmmakers.
The neologism docufictionThesis on docufiction by Prof. Theo Mäusli appeared at the beginning of the 21st century. It is now commonly used in several languages and widely accepted for classification by international film festivals.Indie Matra Bhumi (The Motherland) – Cannes Film FestivalAblel Ferrara's docufiction – Venice Film Festival at Tribeca Film Festival Brian De Palma's On His Iraq Docu-Fiction Comeback at The Huffington Post – Toronto International Film Festival and Venice Film FestivalDarius Mehrjui's film Diamond 33 – Venice Film FestivalNew Film Events – London Short Film FestivalOscilloscope 'Howl' for Off Beat Docu-Fiction Sundance Selection at Ion Cinema Docufiction at several film festivalsSee: Hybrids (fiction/nonfiction films) at External links
Origins The term involves a way of making films already practiced by such authors as Robert J. Flaherty, one of the fathers of documentary,Definition of documentary – New Frontiers in American documentary (American Studies at The University of Virginia)The Impulse of Documentary-Fiction – Paper at Transart Institute and Jean Rouch, later in the 20th century.
Being both fiction and documentary,(NON)FICTION AND THE VIEWER: RE-INTERPRETING THE DOCUMENTARY FILM – Paper by Tammy Stone, Avila University docufiction is a hybrid genre, raising ethical problemsOpen-ended Realities – article by Luciana Lang at Latineos The appeal of hybrid documentary forms in West Africa at Project Muse Ethics and Documentary Filmmaking – Article by Marty Lucas at (American University in Washington, D.C.)On Ethics and Documentary: A Real and Actual Truth – Article by Garnet C. Butchart at Cultural Studies Program, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, published University of South Florida What to Do About Documentary Distortion? Toward a Code of Ethics – Article by Bill Nichols at Documentary.org Documentary Film Prompts-Ethics in Documentary/Fiction vs. Documentary – Paper by Ardavon Naimi at University of Texas at Dallas Ethics and Filmmaking in Developing Countries at Unite For Sight concerning truth, since reality may be manipulated and confused with fiction (see Ethics at creative non-fiction).
In the domain of visual anthropology, the innovating role of Jean RouchJean Rouch 1917-2004, A Valediction – Article by Michael Eaton at Rouge allows one to consider him as the father of a subgenre called ethnofiction.Glossary at MAITRES_FOUS.NETJean Rouch and the Genesis of Ethnofiction, thesis by Brian Quist, Long Island University This term means: ethnographic documentary film with natives who play fictional roles. Making them play a role about themselves will help portray reality, which"Ethnofiction: drama as a creative research practice in ethnographic film." Journal of Media Practice 9, no. 3(2008), eScholarID:1b5648, article by Johannes Sjöberg will be reinforced with imagery. A non-ethnographic documentary with fictional elements uses the same method and, for the same reasons, may be called docufiction.
Docudrama and mockumentary In contrast, docudrama is usually a dramatized recreation of factual events in form of a documentary, at a time subsequent to the "real" events it portrays.See Docudrama: the real (his)tory Confusion of genres – Page 2 on the thesis by Çiçek Coşkun (New York University School of Education) While docudrama can be confused with docufiction, "docudrama" refers specifically to film or other television recreations that dramatize certain events, often with actors.
A mockumentary is also a film or television show in which fictitious events are presented in documentary format, sometimes a recreation of factual events after they took place or a comment on current events, typically satirical, comedic or even dramatic.A television programme or film which takes the form of a serious documentary in order to satirize its subject. – definition at The Free Dictionary and Dictionary.com Whereas mockumentaries are usually fully scripted comedies or dramas that merely adopt some aspects of documentary format as a framing device, docufictions are usually not scripted, instead placing the participants in a fictionalized scenario while portraying their own genuine reactions and their own improvisational dialogue and character development.
First docufictions by country 1926: United States – MoanaWhy 'Moana,' the First Docufiction in History, Deserves a New Life – article by Laya Maheshwari at Indiewire, July 3, 2014 by Robert J. FlahertyNote, however, that Flaherty's earlier film, Nanook of the North from 1922, incorporates many docufiction elements, including the "casting" of locals into fictitious "roles" and family relationships, as well as anachronistic hunting scenes 1930: Portugal – Maria do Mar by José Leitão de BarrosMaria do Mar at IMdb 1930: Germany - People on Sunday by Robert Siodmak and Edgar G. Ulmer 1932: France – by Jean EpsteinL'Or des mers at IMdb 1948: Italy – La Terra Trema by Luchino Visconti 1952: Japan – Children of Hiroshima by Kaneto Shindo 1963: Canada – Pour la suite du monde (Of Whales, the Moon and Men) by Pierre Perrault and Michel Brault 1981: Morocco – Trances by Ahmed El Maânouni 1988: Guiné-Bissau – Mortu Nega (Death denied) by Flora Gomes 1990: Iran – Close-up by Abbas Kiarostami 1991: Finland – Zombie and the Ghost Train by Mika Kaurismäki 2002: Brazil – City of God by Fernando Meirelles and Kátia LundBoys Soldiering in an Army of Crime – article by Stephen Holden , NY Times, January 17, 2003 2005: Iraq – Underexposure by Oday RasheedHow the Arab Spring Changed the Arab Screen and Why You Need to Start Paying Attention – review by Ronan Doyle , November 5, 2013Trying to find beauty in the darkness of Iraq review by Salar Jaff and Ned Parker at Los Angeles Times, June 23, 2011
Other notable examples 1927: Chang: A Drama of the Wilderness by Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack (US) 1931: Tabu by Robert Flaherty and F.W. Murnau (US) 1934: Man of Aran by Robert Flaherty (US) 1942: Ala-Arriba! by Leitão de Barros (Portugal)Ala-Arriba! at IMDb 1948: Louisiana Story by Robert Flaherty (US) 1956: On the Bowery by Lionel Rogosin (US)Out of the Bowery's Shadows (Then Back In) – article by Dave Kehr, February 24, 2012One drink over the line – article by J.R. Jones at the Chicago Reader, February 16, 2012 1958: Walt Disney's White Wilderness by James Algar (US) 1958: Moi, un noir (Me, A Black Man) by Jean Rouch (France)The Film Is the Search: J. Hoberman on Jean Rouch's Moi, Un Noir – article by J. Hoberman, Artforum International, November 2015 1959: India Matri Bhumi (The Motherland)India: Matri Bhumi – Article by Doug Cummings at Filmjourney (March 18th, 2007) – Article at IBN Live by Roberto Rossellini, released 2007 (Italy) 1959: Come Back, Africa by Lionel Rogosin (US) 1961: La pyramide humaine by Jean Rouch (The Human Pyramid)The Human Pyramid at IMdb. (France) 1962: Rite of Spring by Manoel de OliveiraSee Acto da Primavera (Portugal) 1964: Belarmino by Fernando Lopes (Portugal)Belarmino – reference note at Letterbox 1967: David Holzman's Diary by Jim McBride (US)David Holzman's Diary – review by Jaime N. Christley at Slant Magazine, June 13, 2011 1970: The Clowns by Federico Fellini (Italy)I clowns: Fellini's Mockumentary – article at The Artifice Revue by Jamie Havlin at Louder than War Frames from scenes at MMM 1973: Trevico-Torino (viaggio nel Fiat-Nam) by Ettore Scola (Italy)Trevico-Torino (viaggio nel Fiat-Nam at IMdb 1974: Orders (Les Ordres), by Michel Brault (Canada)Despite success of Les Ordres, filmmaker Michel Brault preferred fact to fiction – article by Robert Everett-Green at The Globe and Mail , April 14, 2017 1974: Montreal Main, by (Canada)Lives more interesting than movies – article by Don Shewey , Soho News, June 18, 1980 1976: Trás-os-Montes (Portugal)Trás-os-Montes at Harvard Film Archive by António Reis and Margarida CordeiroAntónio Reis and Margarida Cordeiro at UCLA 1982: Ana by António Reis and Margarida Cordeiro (Portugal)Rep Pick: Ana – Review by Aaron Cutler at The L Magazine 1982: After the Axe, by Sturla Gunnarsson (Canada)After the Axe at IMDbAfter the Axe – reference note with film online by Sturla Gunnarsson, National Film Board of Canada 1984: The Masculine Mystique by Giles Walker and John N. Smith (Canada)The Masculine Mystique - reference note with film online by John N. Smith and Giles Walker , National Film Board of Canada 1985: 90 Days by Giles Walker (Canada)Screen: '90 Days,' Canadian comedy – review by Janet Maslin, NY Times, 1986 1986: Sitting in Limbo by John N. Smith (Canada)Sitting in Limbo – reference note with film at Reel Canada 1987: The Last Straw by Giles Walker (Canada)Gwynne Dyer: A shortage of sperm – commentary by Gwynne Dyer , December 2012 1987: Train of Dreams by John N. Smith (Canada)Train of Dreams – reference note at ONF Train of Dreams at the [IMDb] 1989: Welcome to Canada by John N. Smith (Canada)Welcome to Canada – reference note by John N. Smith at ONF with film online 1990: The Company of Strangers by Cynthia Scott (Canada)The Company of Strangers – reference note at ONF with film for download 1991: And Life Goes On by Abbas Kiarostami (Iran)Life, and Nothing More – review by Tina Hassannia at Inreviewonline , September 5, 2011 2000: In Vanda's Room by Pedro Costa (Portugal)On the Knife's Edge: Pedro Costa's In Vanda's Room – review by Travis Hoover at Slant Magazine, July 5, 2007In Vanda's Room – review by Richard Brody at The New Yorker 2001: Tutto in un Giorno by Giorgio J. Squarcia (Italy)." 2002: Ten by Abbas Kiarostami (Iran)Ten – review by Roger Ebert, April 11, 2003Ten – review by Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian, 27 Sep 2002Ten – review by Rolando Caputo at Senses of Cinema, December 2003 2006: Colossal Youth by Pedro Costa (Portugal)Life, Assembled One Room at a Time review by Manohla Dargis, NY Times, August 3, 2007Colossal Youth is a colossal confusion – review by Samuel Wigley, April 29, 2008 2007: Criminals Gone Wild by Ousala Aleem (US)Criminals Gone Wild review by Logan Hill, NY Magazine, January 7, 2008 2008: Our Beloved Month of August by Miguel Gomes (Portugal)Our Beloved Month of August – review by Peter Bradshaw at The Guardian, January 28, 2018film/review/our-beloved-month-of-august Our Beloved Month of August – review by Glenn Heath Jr. at Slant Magazine, September 7, 2010 2009: Carcasses by Denis Côté (Canada)"A meditation on what it means to be marginal". Montreal Gazette, May 29, 2009.